Cedar Community is a not-for-profit senior living community where our residents enjoy, explore, and embrace their best life. Our natural settings, faith-based mission, and high-quality services afford seniors the opportunity to live a more purposeful, fulfilled life among family and friends. We have facilities in West Bend and Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin.

Our ministry program offers opportunities to worship in large and small gatherings, work with others in fellowship and prayer, explore spirituality and diversity, and enjoy the blessings of all faith traditions. Cedar Community works in partnership with all faiths and area congregations for our residents. Together, our team members, residents, and volunteers live out the mission of Cedar Community each and every day.

Our Mission Statement

To model Christ’s love for humanity by creating life-enhancing relationships, services, and environments.

Our Vision Statement

To be a community where individuals live with purpose and dignity.

Our Values: LIVE

L – Love

As we strive to fulfill our mission, “To model Christ’s love for humanity … ,” we do so by “loving our neighbor as ourselves” (Matthew 22:39). The Golden Rule, to “do to others as you would have them do to you” (Matthew 7:12), guides what we say and do.

I – Integrity

We serve with personal and professional integrity. Proverbs 10:9 says, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely.” We hold each other accountable to high ethical and moral standards. We are honest, open, and respectful.

V – Vitality

Cedar Community is a place to “live more.” Our natural setting reminds us of the beauty and diversity of creation. We want our residents and their families to enjoy, explore, and embrace their best life. The Gospel tells us Jesus came “that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Our relationships, services, and environments allow for abundant and purposeful living.

E – Excellence

Matthew 5:14 says, “You are the light of the world.” We strive for excellence in all things. We look for creative solutions to the complexity of needs experienced by our community. We want to do our best, and then some, for those we serve.

Cedar Community Milestones & History

In 1953, aging bachelor farmer William Koehl donated his property overlooking West Bend’s Big Cedar Lake to the United Church of Christ to serve the elderly. In 1956, Cedar Community opened its first nursing home there. Under the guidance of Executive Director Rev. Louis Riesch, Cedar Lake Home grew over the next 35 years to provide as many as 415 skilled-care nursing home beds.

In 1976, Rev. Riesch, acknowledged nationally as a pioneer in aging services, created one of the nation’s first nursing facilities dedicated solely to the unique needs of those suffering memory loss. Ten years later, Cedar Valley Retreat Center was opened on 100 acres in nearby Kohlsville, as well as Cedar Ridge, a 312-unit apartment complex for active and independent seniors. Riesch also oversaw the development of four independent Village Homes for active retirees over the course of his career, as well as one of the nation’s first not-for-profit rehabilitation agencies. He retired in 1991 and passed away in 2007, but his legacy lives on.

Riesch was succeeded by Steve Jaberg as Cedar Community’s CEO. During Steve’s 32-year tenure, Cedar Community expanded assisted living and rehabilitation services to the community, becoming the region’s preferred provider for short-term rehab. In 2003, the organization’s home-based divisions were launched. In 2007, Steve oversaw expansion into Sheboygan County with Cedar Landing in Elkhart Lake, featuring both independent homes and assisted living apartments. In 2014, the Cottages at Cedar Run, a state-of-the-care assisted living home for those with memory loss, captured national attention for the innovative environment and programs Steve had envisioned and made manifest.

Steve retired in January 2016 and was succeeded by Lynn Olson, former President/CEO of Hannibal Regional Hospital in Hannibal, Missouri. Lynn has nearly 30 years of combined leadership experience in acute care and elder care settings. He holds a BA in business administration from Winona State University and an MS degree in health care administration from the University of St. Francis, Joliet, Illinois. He joined Hannibal Regional Hospital, a 99-bed acute care provider in rural Missouri with a 100-member medical staff and 850 employees, in 2011. There he oversaw initiatives to revitalize their home-based services, implement computerized medical records, and develop strategic alliances with rehab services and physicians’ groups to improve financial performance and quality of care.

Today, Cedar Community is four campuses and 16 divisions strong, with more than 900 residents, nearly 400 employees and 500+ volunteers, in addition to many community members in Washington and Sheboygan Counties and beyond who also benefit from Cedar Community’s services.